Fruit loop?!?

[Cloudi 0]

I watched one several weeks ago (I didn't know it had a name) on a formation skydive. A very experienced jumper did it to another very experienced jumper when the formation went to sh*t & to draw attention away from the fact that I was unable to get to the formation (thanks for that!).

It didn't look dangerous to me. The initiater grabbed the hands of the unsuspecting "victim" and dragged him down. From my viewpoint, which wasn't that far away--thank you very much, I could see the confusion and surprise on the "fruit loopee's" face. I had to laugh! I watched a bit longer before I tracked off & it looked like he figured it out pretty quickly.

Knowing the "fruit looper," he would have bailed if the other guy freaked out or remained confused about what was going on.

While I wouldn't recommend doing this to an unsuspecting "newbie" because they may get a hand free and start grabbing and kicking, I don't really see a problem with two experienced people doing it, when they know each other well and have jumped together many times before. It seems to me that part of being an experienced jumper is learning to handle the unexpected.

Ron, I'm really sorry to hear what happened to your friend and I completely respect your opinion on this. I'm not advocating this as being necessarily a good idea, just that I watched one between two very experienced jumpers who know and trust* each other.

*By the way, everyone is trying to kill you up there. It's up to you to be aware of what's happening around you. It's up to each of us to keep ourselves alive.

Kim
Watch as I attempt, with no slight of hand, to apply logic and reason.

[stayhigh 2]

So you get into stand and do you pull down on the person or do you throw them over your head back wards? Pulling down doesn't sound right.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[JohnMitchell 16]

The way we did it was grab their arms, then do a backloop while hanging on. As they pass over your head, fling 'em.

[rasmack 0]

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The way we did it was grab their arms, then do a backloop while hanging on. As they pass over your head, fling 'em.

Wouldn't that just put you belly to belly with your victim? Just trying to visualize it here.

HF #682, Team Dirty Sanchez #227
“I simply hate, detest, loathe, despise, and abhor redundancy.”
- Not quite Oscar Wilde...

[Gato 0]

So the guy who teaches you "Plan the dive, and dive the plan," suddenly decides to play a prank at a supposedly "safe" altitude? Perhaps we could have an idea of exactly which altitude is the safest for fucking with somebody when falling out of the sky at 120mph?

I apologize if I shouldn't pipe-in on this, but I agree with Butters. Friends or not, if you choose to play a joke on someone that puts their life (and possibly yours) at risk, then you should be prepared for the ass-kicking you get when you reach the ground. I would personally stomp a mud-hole in the ass of someone doing this to me (Assuming I'm still alive!), then I'd find another instructor who doesn't need to engage in childish junior high jackass bullshit. Sorry for showing my red-neck.

Respect and big-ups to you all.

Gato

T.I.N.S.

[Butters 0]

I meant a verbal altercation (I'm a peaceful person), physical altercations should be left to dire situations. However, this goes to show that some people will have a physical altercation if you do something unexpected and unwanted to them.

"That looks dangerous." Leopold Stotch

[micro 0]

I was fruit looped at The Farm by one of their instructors after I got back into the air back in April. It was way early in the dive, loads of altitude and he warned me ahead of time there would be a little surprise waiting for me. It was a blast. It was just the two of us and after the looping, I got stable again real quick and we did some more fun stuff.

I can see the danger though. Just gotta prepare.

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[Gato 0]

Hey Butters -

I'm starting to regret what I said (I seem to be doing that a lot, lately). I don't mean to come off as a violent guy. This just seemed to me as the antithesis of what is being taught to us, i.e. not moving to a smaller canopy until you're absolutely ready, no wingsuits at 50 jumps, etc. Plus, I've spent the last couple of days defending myself for asking questions about AFF and its safety. The very idea that the unexpected Fruit Loop even exists makes my head hurt. That it was performed on a student at AFF Level 7 is, to me, appalling.

I promise, I'm a Peaceful Warrior. But like the drunk sorority girl once said, "Juszz don' pisss me offff!"

Big-ups,

Gato

T.I.N.S.

[brianfry713 0]

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There are rather a few maneuvers that will never be part of the Dive Pool at Nationals, but can be a lot of fun. Oppenheimers, Saucer & Teacups, Horny Gorillas, Tubes, Steamrollers, Shuttlecocks and Fruitloops are but a few.

So does anyone want to describe any of these: Oppenheimers, Saucer & Teacups, Steamrollers, Shuttlecocks.

BASE 1224, Senior Parachute Rigger, CPL ASEL IA, AGI, IGI
USPA Coach & UPT Tandem Instructor, PRO, Altimaster Field Support Representative

[wightout 0]

I have been fruit looped twice and the first time I actually asked for it but didn't know it was coming!

Here's the situation:
I was on jump 40 or 50 something, and was jumping with a trusted friend, who is now my boyfriend. I was having trouble with getting distracted in the air and not being situational aware and that was scaring me a bit.

I asked if we could do some jumps where he threw stuff at me, turns, flying around me, making me follow him, and said fruit loop, but stuff that was safe. I knew unexpected stuff was coming at me, to help me be a better jumper. On these practice jumps, I needed to constantly be aware of what he was doing, and not know what was coming next. We did it with tons of altitude, always broke and were stable before 5000. He has over 450 jumps and was aware of my skill and ability level. Additionally, I trust him implicitly (literally with my life).

We were safe at all times, and it helped me a lot with learning to pay attention to everything that was going on around me, and constantly being prepared.

Most importantly, it was hella fun and we got the second one on video!!

To borrow a line from Squeak...MY LIFE ROCKS!! HOW'S YOURS??!!!